The Best Day of My Life
by ElenaGilbertWarriorQueen
Summary: "I want to marry you because you taught me how to love. I want to marry you because you love me despite everything. I want to marry you because you are my better half. I want to marry you because I love you and I don't think I could ever picture my life without you. Without you, there is no me. You are my life." DxE one-shot for Rita!


This story was written for Rita for winning my BOTM on Tumblr (because she's awesome!). I've had it written for a few months, but I'm just now getting around to posting it (procrastination is the key). I hope everyone enjoys!

* * *

There's no end

There is no goodbye

Disappear

With the night

_-Wait_ by M83

* * *

**March 8, 2013 **

**8:06 a.m.**

The waiting room was empty and freezing. It was early, barely 8 in the morning. The chairs were cold and stiff, as if they had never been used. Elena Gilbert shifted uncomfortably. She hated waiting rooms. She found out that her parents had died in a horrific car wreck in a waiting room. She found out that her brother had died due to complications during surgery while in a waiting room. She found out that her Aunt Jenna was mugged, shot, and died before she even got to the hospital while in a waiting room. She found out that her Uncle John had taken his own life while in a waiting room. This one, freezing cold, stiff room held so much pain for her it was almost unbearable.

Impatiently she checked every object that showed the time. She checked her watch, her phone, even the giant clock on the wall. She felt as if the clock was mocking her as the time slowly ticked by. Tick…tick…tick…Pretty soon she would be pacing around the room to keep herself from going crazy.

She hadn't even been in the room all that long. She arrived at 7:55 a.m. for an 8:00 appointment. If it had been any other place, she wouldn't be as antsy. But alas here she was, in a room that held so many bad memories for her. Of course it wasn't the exact waiting room. That waiting room was thousands of miles away in Mystic Falls, but it didn't matter. The look of the room, the chilling atmosphere, it was all the same for her. She was beginning to regret turning down her husband's offer to come with her.

_Damon plopped down belly first on the mattress and rested his cheek in his hand as she stared at Elena. She was too busy reading some popular book series to notice his entrance._

"_You know, most women would automatically lose their panties if a good looking guy like me plopped down, half naked on the bed next to them," Damon shrugged._

_Elena rolled her eyes before marking her page and tossing her book on the night stand. "Well I am certainly not most women," Elena replied coyly as she trailed her fingers up his bare chest._

"_You certainly are not. I wouldn't have married you if you were." Elena scoffed and smacked his chest. "Oww!" Damon whined._

"_Oh you big baby. I barely touched you!"_

"_You're underestimating your strength my dear. Kiss it and make it better!" Damon pouted. Elena rolled her eyes again and pushed on his chest, causing him to loose balance and fall on his back. Elena straddled his hips before leaning down and kissing the part of his chest that she slapped._

_Damon's hands rested on her waist, holding her tightly, but not too tightly. "Better," she whispered._

"_Yes," Damon breathed. The two of them stayed in that position, watching each other intensely. Elena eventually broke their staring contest by bending down and kissing him gently on the lips._

"_I love you so much, you have no idea," Damon whispered breathlessly, gently running a finger through her hair._

"_I have some," she whispered back, cupping his cheek gently. Her thumb lightly stroking circles on his cheek. _

"_What are your plans for tomorrow?" Damon questioned as he began to unbutton the shirt she was wearing. It was one of his black, long sleeved shirts. Elena had gotten to the point where she preferred to where his shirts to bed rather than her own PJs._

"_I have a doctor's appointment. Just a routine checkup," she mumbled. Damon pushed the shirt off of her shoulders, leaving her only in her panties. He shifted to where he was sitting up and she was straddling him._

"_Do you want me to come with you?" he asked seriously, knowing the backstory with her and waiting rooms._

_Elena smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pecking him on the lips. "No, I'll be okay. My appointment is right when the open so I will be in and out. Thank you though."_

"_Anything for you princess," Damon cupped her face and pulled her down for a kiss. The rest of the night the couple spent wrapped up in each other, lost to the world._

Elena was mentally kicking herself. Who in their right mind would honestly believe that they would be in and out of the doctor's office? Even if she was one of the first appointments it would still take them 30 minutes to an hour to see her.

Just as Elena felt like she was going to snap, her phone vibrated. Slipping it out of her pocket she smiled a genuine smile when she read the text message.

_From Damon: Stop pacing, you'll exhaust yourself and be too tired for the plans I have for you tonight ;)_

Elena quickly typed of a reply, smirking as she sent it.

_From Elena: Is sex all you think about? Smh…_

It only took a minute before Damon replied.

_From Damon: Of course, I am a man after all. I have needs._

_From Elena: I'm sure those needs can be met when you are by yourself when you are sleeping on the couch tonight._

_From Damon: Good thing we put the flat screen in the living room. HD porn!_

_From Elena: Oops, did I forget to mention I accidentally burned all of the porn DVDs I found. My bad._

_From Damon: :0_

_From Elena: ;)_

After a moment of no reply, Elena slipped her phone back in her purse assuming that Damon had just caught up at work. She was too busy fiddling with her phone that she didn't see the figure approaching her from behind.

Damon wrapped his arms around Elena's small waist and kissed her cheek. Instinctively, she placed her hands on top of his.

"I see you haven't made a dent in the floor with your pacing," he whispered softly.

Elena laughed quietly. "Yeah, some hot guy started texting me. Kept me distracted."

"He sounds positively awesome. Who is this "hot man" that you speak of?"

"Not sure, I met him in the coffee shop before I got here." Damon scoffed.

"Way to ruin a romantic moment Elena!" Damon gasped dramatically. "First my porn and now this? Ugh!"

Elena turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. She stood on her tippy toes and kissed him gently. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course 'Lena. I would do anything for you. Don't ever doubt that." He said sincerely.

Before she could reply, the receptionist called her name. "I'll be waiting when you're done," Damon smiled, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"Okay. I love you," She whispered.

"I love you too," he returned before kissing her lips gently.

The exam room was freezing, the walls were bare and white, and the exam bed she was sitting on was stiff. Every time she shifted, the white paper they leave on the beds made a horrid rustling sound. She was hoping the checkup wouldn't take that long, but alas, it was.

The doctor came in, listened to her heart, listened to her breath sounds, took her blood pressure, took a blood sample, and took a urine sample. That was 20 minutes ago and she had yet to hear anything back. She was starting to get pissed.

_From Damon: Everything okay babe?_

_From Elena: Yeah, they are just taking their sweet time with the lab work. Hopefully I will be out soon :p_

_From Damon: When you get out, we can go get some lunch _

_From Elena: That would be amazing, I am starving!_

Before Elena could read his reply, a different doctor from before came in. "Hello Mrs. Salvatore, I am terrible sorry for the wait," she said immediately.

"Uh…it's okay. Where is Dr. Peterson?"

"He's with another patient. My name is Dr. Menard, I am an OBGYN." Elena's eyes snapped to the new doctor's face.

"OBGYN?" she asked confused. Dr. Menard smiled at her.

"Yes! The result of your urine test indicates that you are pregnant. Congratulations Mrs. Salvatore. I would like to run a few more test, so we can see how far along you are and even do a sonogram, so you can see your baby…"

Dr. Menard continued to talk about the next steps, but Elena tuned her out. As she tried to process the news that she was pregnant. She was going to have a baby. She was going to have a baby with Damon. They were going to be parents. Instinctively her hand went to her stomach. There was a life growing inside her. It wasn't planned, but somehow this life was appearing at the perfect time.

As Elena and Dr. Menard walked towards the room with the sonogram machine, Elena tried to call Damon. She wanted him to be there when she saw their child. When he didn't answer the phone, one of the nurses went to go get him from the waiting room.

"Did you find him?" Elena asked hopefully once the nurse returned.

"No ma'am he wasn't there." The nurse said apologetically.

"We can wait," Dr. Menard offered.

"No, that's okay. He probably had to run to work for a minute." The disappointment was evident in Elena's voice. If he did have to go to work, then maybe she would surprise him tonight. As the doctor continued to set up for the sonogram, Elena thought of all the ways she could tell Damon about the baby.

…

Elena waved bye to the receptionist as she walked into the waiting room. Damon jumped up and hurried over to her.

"You're here!" Elena said surprised.

"Yeah, I'm so sorry. My father called and I had to step outside in case it turned into a screaming match. I saw where you called, is everything okay? You were in there for a while. I was about to bust up in there and find you."

Elena wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I'm perfect, everything is perfect." Damon smiled and cupped her cheek. Gently, he kissed her, pouring all of his love into the kiss.

"Why did you call?" he asked once they broke away.

"I wanted you to be there…" Elena explained as she dug through her purse for her wallet. She opened her wallet and pulled out the picture. "But when we couldn't find you I thought you might have had an emergency at work so I was going to surprise you tonight, but I don't think I can keep it in that long."

Elena turned the picture around and handed it to him. Damon studied the picture, different emotions flashing on his face. "Is this?"

"Yes. We're having a baby. The doctor said I am about 6 weeks along." Damon cleared his throat and tried to blink away the tears of joy that appeared in his eyes. His wrapped his arms securely around Elena's waist and held her as close as possible. With their foreheads resting against each other, Damon whispered his love her quietly. The rest of the world was completely forgotten.

**April 30, 2013**

**9:15 a.m.**

The sun peaked through the bedroom window, the warm glow bathing Elena as she slowly regained consciousness. Half of the bed was empty and cold, signaling that Damon had been up for quite some time. _Ugh…early risers_…she thought to herself as she took her time waking up. She stretched her arms above her head, letting the covers fall and revealing her 13 week baby bump.

She heard the front door of her home open and close. It was Sunday and Damon was off from work so where could he have possibly gone?

"Damon?" Elena called.

Damon appeared in the door way a few moments later. "Morning sunshine. How are you feeling?"

"Not nauseous for once," she said in relief as she plopped back down on the bed.

"Good! I have something for you." Damon walked over to her side of the bed and set the onesie he had hidden behind his back on her slowly growing stomach.

"What?" Elena laughed as she picked up the small article of clothing and examined it. It was beige with a little yellow ducky on it. "It this where you went this morning?"

"Guilty," Damon smiled sheepishly. "You are officially done with your first trimester, I bought this to celebrate." He explained as he sat down and took her hand and kissed it. "We have dinner with my parents tonight. My brother and sister in law will be there as well. I know you wanted to wait until we were out of the first trimester and we are which is good. The baby is healthy, you are healthy, and I can't think of a better time to share the good news."

Elena squeezed his hand lightly. "You're right. We can tell them tonight."

"I love you," Damon mumbled as he kissed her forehead.

"I love you too."

The rest of the day went without event. Damon and Elena spent the majority of the day on the couch watching movies and cuddling, enjoying the peace and quiet that would soon be hard to find with a newborn baby.

Before they knew it, they were dressed and on their way to the Salvatore Manor. Their hands remained firmly linked the entire ride there. Damon suppressed a shutter as he pulled into the driveway. The Salvatore Manor for him was like waiting rooms for Elena. It held to many bad memories for it to ever be normal again.

"Mr. Salvatore!" Rosa, the head maid, greeted as she opened the front door.

"Evening Rosa," Damon smiled as he kissed her on the cheek. Rosa was like a second mother to him growing up. She was always there when his parents weren't.

"I can't believe how grown up you are!" she exclaimed in her thick Hispanic accent. "And Mrs. Elena!" She smiled, pulling the girl in for a hug. "You are positively glowing."

"Happiness does that to you," Elena smiled, looking at Damon who in return wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Well come on in! Everyone is in the study." Rosa led the couple into the study where everyone else was. Giuseppe Salvatore was sitting at his desk, cigar already lit and halfway smoked. Marian Salvatore was seated in one of the chairs be the book cases, her mind preoccupied with whatever 50 shades crap she was reading. Stefan Salvatore and his wife Caroline were seated on one of the two loveseats, looking bored and uncomfortable.

"About time," Giuseppe grunted. "I'm starving."

"Well gee, Giuseppe. You could have started without us!" Damon said snidely. "I mean, I know you said dinner was at 7 and we arrived at 7:01. That's our fault."

"Don't get smart with me boy," Giuseppe hissed. "I'll not have you disgracing this dinner with your remarks."

"Can we please get through one dinner without bickering?" Marian sighed.

"Maybe we just shouldn't have dinner anymore, seeing how well all of you get along," Caroline huffed, twirling her hair.

"Stefan, please tell the trash not to speak unless spoken too!" Giuseppe snapped.

"Excuse me?" Caroline roared, jumping up. Stefan stood up quickly and held her back.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't call my wife trash!" Stefan narrowed his eyes at his father. "Caroline has done nothing to deserve that."

"Nothing since meeting you, but she had a whole other life before you," Giuseppe remarked in disgust.

"How long are you going to hold that over me Giuseppe? I've been married to Stefan for almost 2 years and I've been clean 4 years prior to meeting him! I was a kid, I made mistakes, I fell into the wrong crowd, but I paid for those and I've worked damn hard to get back on track!"

"Tell it to someone who cares girl." Giuseppe hissed, his hard eyes glaring at her.

"Come on, let's go get seated," Stefan whispered to Caroline as he gentle guided out of the tension filled room. Marian sighed and followed them, greeting Damon and Elena as she passed.

Giuseppe's hardened gaze softened as he turned towards Elena. "Elena dear," he greeted gently, kissing her cheeks. "So sorry about that. Glad you could make it, you look lovely this evening."

"Thank you," Elena smiled politely. "Thank you for having us."

"Oh think nothing of it," he waved her off. "Come, let's eat."

The rest of the dinner was uneventful. The tension while everyone ate was thick and no one attempted to make small talk in fear of another fight breaking out.

Once dinner was over, everyone retreated to the living room for coffee and dessert. Giuseppe lit another cigar and sipped on some Bourbon, Marian sipped on her coffee, and Stefan and Caroline were talking quietly.

Damon stood up, pulling Elena with him, and cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "Elena and I have an announcement,"

"Don't tell me you two are getting a divorce," Giuseppe groaned. "She is the one thing you've done right in your life boy."

"No Giuseppe, we aren't getting a divorce. I know you aren't used to it this, but we have good news. Elena and I are going to have a baby." Damon smiled proudly, resting his hand on her stomach.

"Oh yay!" Caroline clapped, jumping up to congratulate the couple. She pulled Elena into a hug as Stefan shook his brother's hand. Once Caroline let Elena go, Marian wrapped her in a hug. Giuseppe rolled his eyes and grunted.

"Damon, you can barely take care of yourself. You will do a terrible job taking care of a baby. Don't get me wrong, Elena you will be an amazing mother, but Damon as a father? Ha."

"Actually dad, I will make an amazing father. I had the perfect role model growing up to show me what NOT to do," Damon snapped.

"Listen here boy, I am your father-"

"No you aren't. You are some man that has dictated my life since I was old enough to walk. I'm tired of you degrading me. If this is how you are going to be, then I don't want you in my child's life. I don't want you in my life or in my wife's life. Disown me if you must, I don't need your money. I am done with you. Come on babe," Damon led Elena out of the living room.

She didn't say anything; she just held his hand and silently supported him as they walked toward the car.

**August 12, 2013**

**1:31 p.m.**

"Yellow is a girly color!" Damon complained.

"Yellow is a neutral color!" Elena argued.

"It is not! I will not have my son in a girly colored room!"

"You are so sure it's a boy, it could very well be a girl! And we agreed to hold off on finding out the sex. _You _were the one that said you wanted in to be a surprise! Well surprise! We have to pick a neutral color. Yellow is pretty neutral!"

Damon tossed the stack of paint colors on the floor and stood up. Elena was propped up on the couch, one hand resting on her 7 month pregnant stomach and the other holding several paint cards. Damon sat on the couch and resting his head on her stomach.

"What do you want little man?" He asked, causing Elena to laugh. "Do you want a girly colored room?"

"You are ridiculous," Elena scoffed. The hand that was resting on her stomach began running through his hair soothingly.

"I'm not ridiculous, just sticking up for my little man," Damon continued to baby talk to her stomach.

"I'm telling you, it's going to be a girl." Elena shrugged.

"Salvatore men have sons, its genetics. There is nothing I can do." Damon teased. Elena rolled her eyes, but remained silent. She loved moments like this. The peaceful moments filled with love and tenderness. Her heart swelled. Ever since she found out she was pregnant, Damon dotted on her. If she woke up at 2 a.m. craving some weird food combination that they didn't have, Damon would go out and get it without complaint. He was the perfect husband and every day she fell a little more in love with him.

"Your mother called," Elena said after a moment. Damon grumbled something quietly, his warm breath exposing the sliver of skin that was exposed due to her shirt ridding up slightly. "She misses you. She says your father is too stubborn to admit it, but he misses you too."

"Well that's too bad for them," Damon mumbled with little concern.

"Damon-" Elena sighed. Damon stood up quickly.

"Don't Damon me Elena. My father is a horrid man and I don't want to expose my child to someone so vile and repulsive."

"I understand that, I do, and I'm not questioning it or trying to argue with it," Elena explained, standing up slowly.

"Good, then there is no need to dig further into it."

"Maybe your father has had a change of heart? Believe me when I say when you lose a family member, whether they be dead or have just cut you off from their family, the pain is all the same."

"That may be true for you because your parents were actually decent people. My father has never been a decent person, so I feel nothing for cutting him out of my life."

"I was talking about him. You said he wasn't your father and you wanted nothing to do with him, that you didn't want him in his grandchild's life, and I understand why you did it, but maybe that was exactly what he needed to hear to change."

"Highly unlikely," Damon muttered. "Look can we not do this now? I have to go."

"Damon wait-" But he didn't wait. He stormed out, leaving he pregnant wife with tear filled eyes standing in the living room.

Elena stood there for a few moments before turning to sit back on the couch. _He will come back when he's calmed down _she thought to herself. As she sat on the couch, she rubbed her stomach gently. "It's okay baby," she whispered.

The loud shrill of her cellphone sounded from the kitchen. Sighing, Elena got back up and went to answer the phone.

"Hello Caroline," she greeted her blonde best friend and sister in law.

"Elena! I have some ideas for the baby shower and wanted to go over them with you. Is now a good time?" It really wasn't, but Elena didn't want to tell Caroline about the fight.

"Yeah, I'm home alone right now. Come on over."

"Where is Damon?"

"He stepped out,"

"Ah well good, he's a man, he shouldn't see the baby shower stuff anyway."

"You said you had some ideas. How many are we talking about?" Caroline squealed and began to excitedly talk about what she was thinking about. Elena didn't want a big baby shower, but knowing Caroline, it was going to be huge and extravagant.

As Caroline continued to babble on about her plans, Elena's hands began to shake and her face began to pale. A sharp pain shot through her stomach causing her to cry out and drop the phone. Slowly she sunk to the floor, holding her stomach. "Oh no," she whimpered.

Over the phone Caroline called her name, but the pain was too sharp that Elena could barely move. It didn't take long for Caroline to get to Elena's apartment. She burst through the door and immediately rushed towards Elena's side.

"What happened?" she asked in a panic.

"I don't know, but it hurts." Elena whimpered.

"Come on, we need to get you to the hospital." Caroline put Elena's arm around her neck and wrapped her arm around her waist. Slowly they made their way down to the first floor and into Caroline's car. Caroline drove to the hospital as fast as she could, not caring if a cop saw her speeding.

"I need Damon," Elena cried as she gripped her stomach.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. We got into an argument about his parents and he left to calm down. Ugh!" she screamed, lurching forward. Caroline rubbed her back with her right hand.

"Once we get there I will call him."

Caroline swerved into the hospital parking lot and into the ER bay. "We need help!" Caroline called as she ran towards the passenger seat. Several doctors rushed out to see what the commotion was. "We need a wheelchair!" Caroline hollered as she opened the door and kneeled down next to Elena.

"What happened?" one of the doctor asked as he helped Elena out of the car and into the wheelchair.

"She is having sharp abdominal pains," Caroline explained as they walked.

"How far along are you?"

"27 weeks," Elena gritted out. She squeezed her eyes closed, a few tears slipping through the corners.

"Alright we need to get you in for an ultrasound. I'm sorry ma'am, but you can't come past this point." Caroline stopped walking and nodded.

"I'm going to call the father."

"Thank you," Elena gave a half smile, it wall all the she could muster.

…

Damon groaned once again as his phone rang for the 10th time. Caroline needed to stop blowing up his shit. She had called 7 times and Stefan had called 3 times. Both of them also sent messages and left voicemails. He just wanted to be left alone with his 4th glass of bourbon. That was all he wanted. But we don't always get what we want.

Damon was once again interrupted in his self-pity party, not by the phone ringing, but by someone smacking him upside the head. "What the fuck?!" Damon yelled, standing up and ready to fight.

"Yes, what the fuck?! Have you not checked your voicemail and text messages?" Stefan snapped.

"No, because I didn't want to hear any more about mom and dad and how sorry they feel! I just wanted to be left alone."

"You're a fucking moron. I don't give a damn about mom and dad. We were calling because Elena is in the hospital." Damon dropped the glass he had picked up. It shattered on the ground sending shards of class and bourbon everywhere.

"What?" he whispered, his eyes were wide and full of fear.

"After you left, to come here I assume, Caroline called her to tell her she was coming over. While they were on the phone, Elena began having sharp abdominal pains. Caroline rushed her to the hospital. She's been asking for you, so get over whatever the fuck is wrong because right now the only thing that matters is the life of your wife and child."

Damon just nodded and silently followed his brother. As they rushed to the hospital, neither brother said anything. Damon hopped out of the car before it was fully parked and dashed into the hospital. Caroline stood up when she saw him.

"Where is she?"

"Room 114. I think the doctor is in there now."

Damon walked past her without another word. He ignored the receptionist that called after him, telling him that he couldn't go back there. Once he got to room 114, he walked in without even knocking. Elena was in the bed in a hospital gown, her hands resting on her stomach as the doctor talked to her.

"Sir? You can't be in here." The doctor said right as the receptionist appeared in the doorway.

"I tried to stop him," she explained.

"It's okay," Elena spoke up. "He's my husband." Damon walked towards the bed, sitting on the edge, and wrapping Elena in his arms. She rested her head on his chest. He kissed her forehead lovingly.

"I was just telling your wife that everything checks out. The baby is fine, good heartbeat no visible defects and she is fine. Abdominal pain is normal during pregnancies, but her pain seemed to be extreme so I am ordering bed rest until the baby is born. We would like to keep her here for a day or two for monitoring and if everything remains good, she will be free to go home and rest."

"Thank you," Damon said hoarsely as he rubbed Elena's back. Once the doctor left the room, Damon lifted Elena's chin with his fingers. "I am so sorry," he said brokenly. "I shouldn't have left, I should have been here. If anything would have happened, I don't know what I would have done."

"But nothing did happen. Everything is fine. I am fine, the baby is fine, and we are fine." She reassured.

"But-"

"No! I will not have you beating yourself up. You made a mistake, I understand that. It's the first time you've ever left and I understood why. I'm not mad. I am just glad you are okay."

"I love you," Damon said, kissing her gently.

"I love you too." She smiled. Damon held her, rubbing her back and leaving gentle kisses on her forehead. The two stayed like that until Elena fell asleep. After tucking her in, Damon slipped out of the room to make a phone call.

"How's Elena?" Stefan immediately asked.

"She's fine, so is the baby. The doctor is ordering bed rest until the baby is born."

"That's good."

"Thank you, for what you did today. I don't know what I would have done-"

"Don't finish that sentence. I'm sure Elena has already told you this, but you are human. You made a mistake. As your brother it is my job to knock you upside your heard when you are being stubborn."

"You had to come find me! Because I wouldn't answer my phone. I was drinking while my wife was alone in the hospital, scared to death that she might be losing our baby."

"But she didn't lose the baby. And as soon as you found out, you immediately came. I know you Damon. I know what Father said a few months ago has been bugging you, it's why you haven't accepted his crap apology, if that is what you could call it. You're scared. You're scared that you will be a horrible father like him, but today proved otherwise. If dad would have found out mom was in the hospital, possibly losing the baby, he would have remained on his ass, drinking. So stop fearing that you are going to be a horrible father. You aren't."

Damon nodded silently even though Stefan couldn't see him. "Thanks Stef." He muttered.

"Anytime brother. I love you. I know we're guys and we don't say that, but I do. I love you."

"I love you too," he said with a small laugh.

Once he hung up with Stefan, he dialed his father's number. He knew his father was a sleep, so he was just going to leave a voicemail.

"Dad, it's Damon, but I'm sure the caller ID told you that. I know we left things badly but you're my father and you're my child's grandfather, and you are the closest thing to a father my wife has. I don't know why and I won't even begin to figure it out, but for some reason you love her as if she was your own child. And she loves you like a father and I don't want to take another family member from her so I want to call a truce. If she wants you in our child's life then I want you in our child's life. But believe me when I say that this attitude you have towards me is about to stop. I will no longer be your punching bag. I have to go, Elena is in the hospital. She's okay and so is the baby, but I need to go be with them. I'll talk to you soon."

Damon headed back into the hospital room. Elena was still asleep, her face was so peaceful. Damon turned his phone off, slipped his shoes off, and slipped into bed with her, holding her close to him. He drifted off to sleep.

**October 6, 2013**

**12:41 p.m.**

"Hey!" Damon exclaimed. "You are supposed to be in bed."

Elena turned around and stuck her tongue out. "That's attractive," Damon laughed.

"I'm hungry," Elena whined.

"Then tell me and I will get you something."

"But my legs were falling asleep and I'm bored!"

"Aw pour baby," Damon pouted.

"I hate you."

"You love me," he smiled, kissing her check. "No go lay down."

Elena sighed and headed back into their room. A few minutes later Damon appeared with a grilled cheese and some juice.

"Does it have pickles on it?" Elena asked excitedly as he handed her the plate.

"Of course," he replied, setting the juice down on the bed side table.

"Yay, thank you!" she said before taking a bight of it. Damon popped in a movie and crawled into bed with her.

"What did you put in?"

"My favorite porno," he teased.

"You have crap taste in porn though!"

"You know once the baby is old enough to talk, we are going to have to stop joking about porn." Damon said seriously.

"Who said I'm joking," Elena smiled.

"Seriously though, your due date is approaching. We need to decide on a name."

"I've decided. Kai Clarisse for a girl or Milo Daniel for a boy."

"They are so weird! Henry Liam or Charlotte Leanne are more normal!"

"That's why I don't want them. I want a unique name for our baby."

"Why? So the can be teased?"

"You and Stefan weren't teased and your names are pretty unique."

"Dammit, good point. This isn't going to be resolved tonight is it?"

"Nope!" Elena said, popping the 'p' for emphasis. She smiled as Damon kissed her forehead.

"Then I guess we're at a draw."

The couple fell asleep wrapped in each other's embrace. Damon's arms were wrapped securely around Elena's heavily pregnant stomach, resting on it protectively. Elena's hands were intertwined with Damon's hand.

When the clock hit 3:30 a.m. Elena sat up quickly due to another sharp pain in her stomach. "Not again," she whispered, slipping out of bed and into the bathroom. She put one hand on the counter, the cool marble sending goose bumps up her arm, and her other hand gripped her stomach.

The pain was uncomfortable, but nowhere near as excruciating as the abdominal pain she experienced a few months ago.

"Elena?" Damon's tired and worried voice drifted from the bedroom. He appeared in the doorway a few seconds later, his concern filled eyes zeroing in on the hand on her stomach. "What's wrong?" he asked, rushing to her side.

She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off my something wet running down her legs and splashing on the floor. "Oh!" she said surprised. "I think my water just broke!"

"What?" Damon said in a panic, looking down at the puddle of clear water on the floor surrounding Elena's feet. "You're two weeks early!"

"Yeah well there isn't anything we can do," Elena said jokingly as Damon rushed to get the hospital bag they made several weeks ago. Slowly, the couple made their way out of the apartment and to their car. Damon helped Elena into the passenger seat before rushing towards the driver side.

As they drove to the hospital, Elena focused on her breathing while Damon called his brother and Caroline.

"Hello?" Stefan answered groggily.

"Hey!" Damon said. "Sorry to call at this hour."

"It's fine. Is everything okay?" Stefan asked, slightly more alert.

"Yes, everything is great. Elena is in labor." In the background Damon could hear Caroline squeal.

"That's great! Are you at the hospital?"

"We are on our way right now."

"Okay we will meet you there. Have you called mom and dad yet?" Damon could hear shuffling in the background signaling that Stefan and Caroline were moving around.

"Not yet…"Damon trailed off.

"Believe me, I am not one to stick up for dad, but I will admit he's been trying. He's been somewhat decent to Caroline. It's not a lot, but it's something."

"Yeah you're right. I'll call him. Thanks brother."

"I'll see you soon brother. Congratulations." Damon smiled and ended the call before dialing his father's number.

"Hey," Damon said when he heard the phone pick up.

"Damon? What is it son? Is it Elena?" Giuseppe asked gruffly.

"Elena's in labor. We are on our way to the hospital. I thought you would want to know." Damon said in an even voice. There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Giuseppe said quietly "Thank you for calling. We will meet you at the hospital."

"Don't mention it." He said. He hung up the phone and used his free hand to take one of Elena's and squeeze it reassuringly. "We're almost there babe. Are you okay? How is the pain?"

"I'm okay," Elena breathed. "Pain is at an 8." Damon kissed the back of her hand lovingly. Elena gave him a small smile, thankful that he was there with her.

As soon as they were in the hospital parking lot, Damon hopped out and ran inside to get a wheelchair. He returned with that and a nurse. They helped Elena out of the car and into the wheelchair.

It didn't take long for Elena to be admitted. Within 10 minutes, she was admitted and situated in a private room.

"Hello hello!" Dr. Menard said brightly as she walked into the room. She smiled at the soon to be parents. "How are we doing?"

Elena gripped Damon's hand tightly and squeezed her eyes shut as another contraction hit. "She's in a lot of pain," Damon explained as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"The pain is normal. I am going to check to see how dilated you are and we will see about getting you an Epidural for the pain."

"Okay," Elena said tightly, holding her breath.

Dr. Menard checked Elena's progress and made a face. Damon studied her as a range of questions flashed through her face. "What's that face doc?"

"Elena is pretty dilated," Dr. Menard explained as she continued to check everything.

"Meaning?" Damon asked annoyed.

"It means that they baby will be here soon and it's too late for an Epidural. Elena is 9 centimeters dilated. At 10 centimeters she will have to push."

"What?" Elena panicked. "No! It's too soon." Damon held her hand tightly and shushed her.

"It's okay princess. We are ready, you are ready."

"What if I don't make a good mom? What if something happens? I lost my family when I was young, I don't know how to raise a baby!" Elena cried.

"Hey," he said gently, wrapping his arm around Elena's shaking form. "It's going to be okay. I promise. We've ready books, we've taken class, and we've done everything we can. The rest we will figure out together."

Elena nodded her head, but otherwise didn't say anything. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip as a few tears escaped the corner of her eyes and rolled down her cheek. Damon gently wiped them away.

"Do you remember when we first met? I was the bad boy in high school and you were the quiet girl, coping with your parent's death." Elena nodded her head and smiled a little. "I was a complete ass to you the first day, calling you a 'good girl' and joking with my friends that I was going to seduce you and corrupt you before ditching you? You were so mad. You walked up to me in the middle of the cafeteria and slapped me so hard."

"You deserved it," Elena mumbled.

"And if I remember correctly, you called me a few choice names too."

"I called you an egotistical asshole with no heart and no decency and that no one would ever love someone as cold as you."

"Yeah," Damon laughed. "You knocked the breath out of me. I knew then, that you were different. So I chased after you and apologized."

"If you could call that an apology," Elena teased.

"It was a new concept to me." Damon shrugged. "I asked you for another chance. I wanted to prove you wrong, prove that I could be loved. I will never forget what you said to me. There is no point in giving you a second chance. You are nothing but a bad boy, acting out and hurting people to make you feel in control. Giving you a second chance would be stupid and pointless because you can't change because…"

"Because you need to know how to love and care for yourself before you can care and love for someone else and vice versa and you don't care about or love yourself." Elena finished for him.

"You were right. I didn't care about myself, I didn't love myself, and I didn't know how. You taught me how. Together, we figured it out. And just like then, we will figure this out. Together." Damon cupped her face and kissed her deeply. "As long as I have you, we will be okay."

"I love you so much," Elena muttered against his lips. "As big of an asshole as you were, the best day of my life was the day I met you."

"I didn't start living until I met you. All I did was exist. You saved me Elena."

Dr. Menard watched the couple's tender reaction. Her heart swelled at how gentle and caring they were. "I am going to get everything ready in the delivery room. I expect the baby to be here in the next 20 minutes."

"Thank you," Elena said greatly. Dr. Menard nodded before slipping out of the room

"I am going to update my family. I will be right back. Are you okay?"

"I'm great," Elena said. And she meant it. Damon kissed Elena's knuckles before ducking out of the room.

Stefan, Caroline, Giuseppe, and Marion were all in the waiting room. They all stood up when they saw Damon.

"We tried to go back there, but they wouldn't let us," Caroline explained.

"Elena is about to give birth. Dr. Menard said she was 9 centimeters dilated. They are about to bring her to the delivery room, but I wanted to come update everyone before they did." Damon said excitedly.

"Oh wow, the baby is coming fast! I can't believe I am about to be an aunt!" Caroline squealed, jumping up and down and clapping.

"I'm happy for you brother," Stefan said, hugging Damon.

"Thanks brother," he replied, hugging him back.

Damon hugged his mother before turning towards his father. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course son. I'm proud of you; I just wanted you to know that. I know I haven't shown it a lot over the years, but I am."

Damon nodded and hugged his father. Giuseppe hesitated for a moment, slightly surprised, before hugging him back.

"I'll come update everyone as soon as I can," Damon said before running back.

For a second it seemed like everything was in slow motion. Elena took a deep breath before pushing. Damon held her hand and whispered encouraging words to her. Dr. Menard told her that she was doing great and to keep pushing. Nurses hustled around, making sure everything was set for when the baby was out.

Elena's heart pounded. The pain was excruciating, but she knew it would be worth it when she finally gets to hold her baby. "Alright Elena I see the head," Dr. Menard said. "On the count of three I want you to give me one final push. One, two, three!" Elena gave it all she had. She screamed out in pain at the same time a small cry sounded in the room. Exhausted, Elena slumped backwards, a small smile on her face as the tiny cry continued.

"It's a girl!" Dr. Menard said enthusiastically. She wrapped the baby up in a blanket and handed her to Elena. "Congratulations mommy."

"A girl," Damon smiled brightly.

"Hi baby girl," Elena greeted. "I'm your mommy." The infant stared at Elena in wonder before snuggling into Elena's warm chest.

"I love you," Damon whispered before kissing Elena's forehead.

"I love you too. Both of you," Elena responded, bending down to kiss her daughter's head.

Dr. Menard took the baby after a moment and brought her over to the baby bed, After checking a few things, she turned towards the parents. "Her stats are a little low, so just to be safe we are going to take her to the NICU."

"Why are her stats low?" Elena asked, immediately concerned.

"Low stats are common in babies born a few weeks early. We are just going to get her checked out as a precaution." She explained gently.

Elena nodded. "Damon, go with her," Elena instructed. Damon nodded and kissed her forehead. I will be back as soon as I can." Damon said. "I love you."

"I love you too." Elena watched as Damon left with their daughter, a smile on her face the entire time.

…

Damon watched as they examined his daughter. His stomach churned nervously as he waited. One of the nurses saw him and smiled gently.

"We have a few more tests to run, but everything is checking out just fine Mr. Salvatore."

Damon let out a sigh of relief. "She's okay?"

"She's perfect."

Damon smiled. "Yeah. Yeah she is. She looks just like her mother," he said fondly. The nurse smiled and returned to her work.

Once all of the tests were completed, Damon made his way to the waiting room to inform his family. "It's a girl!" he said loudly before they could say anything. Caroline squealed and Stefan slapped his back.

"I have a granddaughter," Giuseppe said softly.

"She's perfect, she looks just like Elena. She's so beautiful and she's healthy. I can't wait for you guys to see her." Damon's smile was wide, pure joy shone through his eyes. A daughter. A baby girl. His baby girl. He claimed he wanted a son, but secretly he was hoping for a daughter.

Perfect is an impossible word, an impossible thing, but his life was as close as perfect as it could get.

"Damon," Stefan said, nodding to something behind him. Damon turned to see Dr. Menard making her way towards him. Damon felt his heart jump and his stomach dropped. He briefly wondered if this was the way Elena felt when she in in a waiting room.

"Mr. Salvatore," Dr. Menard said gravely.

"What is it? Is it the baby?" Damon tried to reign in his panic.

"The baby is fine. Maybe we should sit."

"Don't screw with me doc. What's wrong?" Dr. Menard sighed and looked at him sadly.

"After you left, Elena began to hemorrhage." She began slowly.

"Okay? She's okay, right? Right?"

"We tried to stop it, we did everything we could to stop it, but she was losing too much blood too fast," she said softly.

Damon began to shake, not comprehending what the doctor was telling him. He felt Stefan's hand on his shoulder and he felt his mother grip his hand.

"What are you saying?" he said tightly, his lips shaking.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Salvatore. The blood loss was too much. She didn't make it…"

"Didn't make it?" he asked, as if he still couldn't comprehend what she was telling him.

"Elena's dead."

"_Why do you want to marry me?" Elena asked in the quiet of the night. Damon lifted his head from where it was resting on her stomach and looked at her._

"_Why wouldn't I want to marry you?" he countered._

"_It's just – well…I have a lot of baggage and I don't want you to get stuck with it." She shrugged sheepishly._

_Damon sat up and pulled her up with him. He wrapped his arms around her as she snuggled into his chest. "I could name 1000 reasons why I would want to marry you."_

"_1000? That's a lot-"_

"_But it can be done," Damon cut her off. He cupped her cheek gently. "I want to marry you because you make me laugh. I want to marry you because I love waking up with you wrapped in my arms. I want to marry you because when you smile at me, it doesn't matter how bad of a day I've had, when you smile at me, it instantly lifts me. I want to marry you because somehow, you can put up with my family. I want to marry you because when you are in my arms, I feel complete. Because you aren't afraid to stand up to me and put me in my place. I want to marry you because you taught me how to love. I want to marry you because you love me despite everything. I want to marry you because you are my better half. I want to marry you because I love you and I don't think I could ever picture my life without you. Without you, there is no me. You are my life."_

_Tears rolled down Elena's eyes as Damon spoke. His eyes remained connected with her, the love and adoration he felt for her flowed through him and into her. She could feel him; feel his words and the truth behind them._

"_I don't know how I got so lucky," Elena whispered. "But I am thankful that I did. I'm thankful that I did."_

"_We are never going to be apart," Damon said seriously. "Even if that means that I will somehow have to find a way to turn us into immortal creatures, I will." He teased._

_Elena smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I've always thought turning into a vampire would be cool."_

"_Then a vampire it is," Damon smiled and kissed Elena softly. "I love you Elena Marie Gilbert, soon to be Salvatore. Don't ever forget that."_

"_I could never forget it. I love you Damon. Forever."_

Forever…_Forever…__**Forever**_…In a few minutes, forever was gone. Vanished into thin air. Damon's heart pounded so hard and so fast that he thought it would break out of his chest. A part of him hoped it did. What good was having one when it hurt this much?

Silently he followed Dr. Menard down to the morgue where they had moved Elena's body. The closer they got, the colder he became. The entire floor felt like death. His face remained blank. Blank of emotions, blank of tears, it was just blank.

A part of him was waiting to wake up from this nightmare, still half convinced that it wasn't real. It couldn't be. Less than 10 minutes ago, Elena was alive and happy, holding their daughter and whispering words of love. Less than 10 minutes ago, their little family had been complete and it was perfect. How could all of that change so quickly?

They stopped at the door the read in big black letters 'Morgue.' "Are you ready?" Dr. Menard asked solemnly. _I'll never be ready._

"Do you – I…can I have a few minutes alone?" Damon asked quietly. Dr. Menard nodded sadly. "I'll be right down the hall if you need anything." She said. Damon didn't respond with words, he just nodded numbly.

He listened to the sound of her heels as they walked down the hallway. Slowly, he pushed open the door to the morgue. His eyes darted everywhere as he slowly walked towards the covered up, lifeless body of his wife. Damon wanted to laugh and tell her to stop joking and that it wasn't funny, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out.

Damon gripped the sheet that was covering her and pulled it down, revealing her pale and lifeless face. "Oh god," he whispered, his hand covering his mouth as he stifled a sob. "Elena." His eye stung as the first wave of tears started to spill over. Damon cupped her cheek, as he had done so many other times before. But unlike the other times, there was no response to his gesture. Her skin was cold. Too cold. Elena has always been warm. Damon used to tease her, saying he didn't need a blanket as long as she was wrapped in his arms. The warmth was gone.

Her face was clear, as if she was sleeping peacefully. But she wasn't sleeping. When she slept, Damon could still see the life in her. He could see the small twitch of the corner of her mouth when she was having a good dream and the small frown that appeared when she was having a bad one. Her face was so still. She didn't look like she was sleeping. She just looked gone.

"Oh Elena!" he sobbed, resting his head on her chest. He used to love to rest his heard there and listen to her heart beat. Everything was still and quiet now. "Please come back. Please. I can't live without you." He cried. "You said we would be together forever! Forever doesn't last very long when you are dead! So cut it out!" He lifted his head and began to pace.

"You can't be dead!" he whimpered, running his hands through his hair. "You can't! You have a family! You have me and you have a beautiful baby girl and she needs you." The room remained silent, cold. Damon continued to pace, trying to think of something – anything – to wake Elena up. He grew slightly angry when nothing came to mind. "Fuck!" he yelled, hitting a tray of instruments hard and sending it flying onto the ground. The loud noise echoed throughout the room. Damon turned towards Elena, half excepting the noise to have woken her up. She was still lying motionless on the metal table.

Damon walked back over to the table. He bent down slowly and kissed her cold lips gently. The sobs he was trying to hold back ripped through his chest violently as he sunk down to the floor. "Please come back. Please. I need you." He whispered over and over. "Please…"

"_The best day of my life was the day I met you."_

* * *

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